Artwork
南宋 趙孟堅 水仙圖 卷|Narcissus
南宋 趙孟堅 水仙圖 卷|Narcissus is an ink painting by the Song dynasty painting artist Zhao Mengjian. It dates from 1250 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1973.120.4
- Credit line
- Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The handscroll by Zhao Mengjian, dated 1250, portrays the narcissus flower, which functions as the iconographic subject of the work. The available records do not provide an explicit interpretation of symbolic meaning beyond the depicted motif, so the painting's significance is framed by its refined visual treatment of narcissus within a Southern Song handscroll format.
Technique & Style
Executed as a handscroll in ink on paper in the mid-13th century, Zhao Mengjian's Narcissus exemplifies Southern Song technical conventions.
Executed as a handscroll in ink on paper in the mid-13th century, Zhao Mengjian's Narcissus exemplifies Southern Song technical conventions. The work employs the continuous horizontal format of the handscroll, allowing the artist to modulate brush pressure and ink density to render the slender stems and blossoms with subtle gradations of tone. Fine, controlled strokes define each petal, while the surrounding foliage is suggested through delicate, almost calligraphic lines.
The composition reflects the restrained, linear aesthetic typical of the period. The scroll is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 1973.120.4.
History & Provenance
The handscroll was created by Zhao Mengjian in 1250, during the Southern Song dynasty, in ink on paper. It depicts narcissus and is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 1973.120.4. No intermediate ownership history, commission details, or earlier provenance is recorded in the available documentation, and no exhibition history is documented.
Context
Zhao Mengjian, a Southern Song scholar-painter, produced the handscroll Narcissus in 1250. Executed in ink on paper, the work depicts the narcissus plant and reflects the period's interest in botanical subjects rendered in monochrome ink. It is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art among its Song-dynasty Chinese paintings.
Overview
Zhao Mengjian's Narcissus (c. 1250) is an ink-on-paper handscroll from the Southern Song dynasty. This painting presents a detailed still life of a single narcissus plant, rendered with precise brushwork. As a handscroll, it was designed for intimate viewing, meant to be unrolled gradually and contemplated in small sections rather than displayed on a wall.
Artist & collection
